Tuesday April 15, 2014

At a recent Yoobee School of Design, Game Art information evening held at EPIC, Ben Dellaca, CEO of CerebralFix, commented that the games industry “isn’t just an industry of passion and hope. It’s a serious industry”. Ben narrowed down the qualities that he looks for in potential hires at CerebralFix - personality, passion, tenacity and grit. CerebralFix is a Christchurch Game company with a focus on social and casual gaming. They employ 40 people in their Christchurch office in the EPIC center.

James Tan of Digital Confectioners also spoke at the event, which provided Yoobee students with more information about working in NZ’s fastest growing industry. James said that for him, there are 3 main reasons to work in the game industry. “You meet awesome people!There are a lot of great opportunities out there you just need to go out and grab them. James highly recommended going to events where you might meet people who are in the game industry, such as the GDC – Game Development Conference. Win/Win situations. It’s all about beneficial relationships in business. If you need something from someone – think about what you are bringing to the table. When you take on projects you should always evaluate the win / win – what are you giving and what are you gaining. By this virtue you should never concentrate too much on how much you are being paid for a project. It is about creating amazing work and being fairly compensated.” Digital Confectioners are a game development company specializing in development in Unreal Engine 3 and 4. They are also based in the BNZ EPIC center. Yoobee School of Design is now offering a 2 year Diploma in Game Art, which has been developed in conjunction with the local Christchurch industry. For more information contact Breda Cahill 0800 665544 or breda.cahill@yoobee.ac.nz